Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics.

Specifically In relation to mainstream classroom teachers, the yield in savings that will result from the change in the staffing schedule from an average of 27 pupils per teacher to an average of 28 pupils per teacher will ultimately depend on the aggregate impact of the revised staffing schedule on the particular enrolment profile of all the primary schools countrywide as of 30 September last and the operation of the panel system of redeployment. The full year saving is estimated at €6 million for every 100 teaching posts saved. My Department's estimating range for the yield from the staffing schedule adjustment is 350-500 posts saving up to €30 million in a full year. The Deputy will appreciate that while the measure will only yield a portion of that saving in 2009 it is the full year yield that is most relevant given that the Government strategy is to manage the correction needed in the public finances over the coming years as distinct from the 2009 position alone.

The estimates for savings relate to the overall position, taken in the round, and are not broken down by school size. The proportion of the savings that relate to two and three classroom schools will become clearer when the allocation processes commences in the New Year.

An important consideration in relation to the staffing allocations for schools is that schools should be treated in an equitable manner. The staffing schedule should operate in a manner that treats schools in like circumstances equally. I have a responsibility to ensure that whatever the overall level of allocation the system for allocating teachers to schools is transparent and fair where everyone knows where they stand and each school knows that it is getting the same number of mainstream class teachers as the school up the road with similar enrolment.

I have already put it on record that I have no difficulty in setting out for this House or for the public generally what the final impact will be on the overall changes on aggregate teacher numbers in schools for the 2009/10 school year. I am not claiming in any way that there will be no impact on the staffing position in schools generally but this will vary from school to school and there will be schools where the number of teachers will remain the same.

I will set out the final position when the allocation processes have been completed. The allocation processes including notification to schools will commence early in the New Year. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The final allocation to a school is also a function of the operation of the redeployment panels which provide for the retention of a teacher in an existing school if a new post is not available within the agreed terms of the scheme.

For the moment the priority for my Department is to move ahead with the allocation processes and begin the interaction with individual schools early in the New Year.